


Bound

by CorruptedHex



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Mutual Pining, Other, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, This is my favourite tag can you tell yet, idiots to lovers, what if we held hands and we were both warriors of light aha jk unless...?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 03:28:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorruptedHex/pseuds/CorruptedHex
Summary: Before the final battle, The Warrior Light takes some time to reflect.
Relationships: Ardbert/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Bound

**Author's Note:**

> This fic contains 5.0 Spoilers, set before the penultimate Shadowbringers Dungeon.

Like all days, it had proved to be extremely busy. The First was like the source in a lot of ways, in terms of how society was structured, but the people there were entirely different. Kinder, the Warrior of Light had often thought. A world brought to its knees, to the brink of death. Its cities had crumbled, its civilisations all but decimated. A hundred years had passed since the Flood, the world rending event that had almost brought about the next calamity. But looking about the Crystarium - it didn't seem like it. 

The people there were hurting, everyone was. Everyone there had lost something. And yet they didn't wallow in it, they just kept pushing forward. For the Warrior, it felt nice, being part of a community that valued them not for their blessing, or their legacy, but instead just for their assistance and their company. It had been a busy day; fighting, fixing, building. They wiped their hands on a pocket towel, as they dragged themselves to the Pendants for a well deserved rest. 

With a push, they flung open the doors, collapsing onto their bed with a thud, sinking into the mattress. Through half lidded eyes, they looked out of the window, cracking a smile at the bright blue sky.

"Admiring your handiwork, eh?" 

Half smiling, half cringing, they laughed, before they turned to face the source of the voice. 

"Oh, just let yourself in, why don't you?" They pulled themselves up, crossing their arms and grinning at the figure in the corner. 

It shrugged, furrowing its brows. "Its not like there's much I can do. You know, considering I'm a bit lacking in the body department." 

The Warrior walked over to the spirit, putting out their arm, their fingers curled into a fist. "Its good to see you again, Ardbert, really."

Ardbert stepped forward, his own spectral fist against theirs. Sometimes, if they really focused, they could almost imagine him really there. In the flesh, actually touching. He was strong, his hands calloused, his muscles toned - how ironic that the only time they had been able to truly touch had been while they were locked in combat, mortal enemies as Warriors of Light and Darkness respectively. They'd struggled, bitter rivals, both believing they were only doing what was necessary to save their homes. Seeing him there - a ghost - it hurt, sending an ache to their bones. It wasn't their fault he was gone, not entirely.

But still the guilt weighed heavy. 

"Wasn't much of a crafter myself really, you know. It was important to be strong, still is, I s'pose." He took a seat across from them, reaching out to take an apple, before retracting his hand. The Warrior watched as he winced, feeling their own chest tighten, aching in sympathy. They couldn't imagine how difficult it could be to remain trapped as a spirit, the entire world an incredibly painful reminder of the life he had lost. Of the lives he had taken. 

"Wasn't much need for builders, not like now. You were either a fighter, an artisan, or a farmer. That was life, simple as can be. I can't imagine juggling jobs like you do, must be tough, being a hero." 

Never would they get used to how much venom he was able to put into that word, warping it into something repugnant, something vile. As though heroes and villains were two sides of the same coin, halves of a whole. He of all people would know, they thought, going from one to the other in the span of a second. "I'll never be envious of that."

In spite of themselves, they smiled. "Tough, definitely. Sometimes too tough. Some days, when I come back, I feel like I barely have the energy to stand. But that's alright, because I have a dashing, brave warrior by my side. And I know for sure that he'll be there for me." 

Ardbert cocked his head, "Who?" he began to ask, before realisation started to set in. In spite of his translucent appearance, the warrior was sure they saw him flush bright red - all the way to the tips of his ears.   
For a moment neither of them spoke. They couldn't. The confession hung heavy in the air. It wasn't quite awkward, but it felt strange, months of hidden feelings out in the open. 

His rosy cheeks, and bright, genuine smile warmed their heart. 

Over the course of the months they'd been bound together, they had grown close. He was abrasive, brash, and a little cold. But he'd been wandering, alone, in a hell of his own making, for a century. Being a little pessimistic was far from surprising. A hundred years may have frozen his heart, but in just months he had begun to thaw. Laughing, smiling; sometimes even encouraging the Warrior himself. They'd grown into friends, and more recently, those feelings of companionship had turned from friendship to something else. When they looked at him, sitting across from them, his face still flushed, the ache of pity in their chest subsided, replaced by a warmth that filled their heart, and then their entire body. A feeling which had been absent for a long, long, long time. It flooded their bones, a heat warming them to their core. 

Looking away, Ardbert pretended to drum his fingers against the table. His other hand fiddled with his collar. "You think I'm dashing? I mean...I don't look bad for over a hundred, haven't aged a day. One of the upsides of being dead and all." He pushed himself up, wandering over to the windows. He leaned out over the balcony, looking down at the beautiful scenery that stretched out below. The Warrior was quick to follow, resting their arms against the windowsill. It was a hot, summer day, though a strong, cool breeze was flowing through Lakeland, ruffling their hair. 

"It's things like that I envy. Just the little things. What I'd do to feel the wind in my hair, the rain on my skin...I've almost forgotten what it's like. I miss it." He turned to face them, moving ever so slightly closer. "Can you tell me what it feels like?" 

They took a deep breath of the crisp air, watching the way the trees swayed in the breeze, the way the water whipped up the sea. "Well, it's cool. Refreshing. And the air smells of flowers. The sun feels warm. Its relaxing. Peaceful, even." The responsibility of being a Warrior of Light had been crushing. The mantle of Warrior of Darkness was even heavier. But moments like these...the peaceful reprieves between battles...that was what made it worth it. 

"I'm not sure what it is you see in me. Why you've dealt with me for as long as you have. Why you haven't just told me to bugger off. But, I hope you know the feeling is mutual. You're pretty 'dashing' yourself, too," he teased. 

"I mean what I say about you. Ever since we fixed that lift in Kholusia, when you came running over to me, I knew what I felt about you wasn't just friendship. Your handsome smile, your kindness, your wit...I don't think I'd ever known a more stalwart friend."

When they'd first met the phantom, they'd been more than a little surprised. The ghost of an enemy, haunting the First. And tied, it seemed, to their very soul. At first, they had wondered if it was a punishment. Retribution, finally, for those they had cut down in the name of the preservation of their star. But not once did Ardbert show resentment towards them. Concern, worry, annoyance, perhaps. But never hate. Soon, their chats with the wandering spirit had become part of their daily routine, and Ardbert a friend just as valued as the Scions. 

"Well, you're pretty special yourself, hero. You've kept fighting." He moved closer still, until his head was propped against their shoulder. "I'm proud of you. As your old enemy, and as your friend. Thank you." 

"For what?" they replied, "It's you who's been here for me. Since day one. I've just been doing my job, but you…"

They were interrupted as he pushed forward, his lips pressed against theirs, in the imitation of a kiss. They responded in turn by encircling his waist. "I wish I could kiss you," he laughed. "I wish I could feel you holding me. I feel like, if either of us are cursed, this is it." He closed his eyes, trying to remember what it was like to feel. "Cursed to fall in love, but to be unable to touch you, or feel you. I'd pay just about any price to be able to kiss you, you know. After all the both of us have been through, it's the least we deserve."

*

The sun had sunk beneath the hills, and they had watched it set together, Ardbert's gauntlet against the bare skin of the warrior's palm. They'd stood there until the first stars had started to shine, and the moon coated Lakeland in a hazy, white light. Some days they would talk more than others. And some days, it was enough to simply just be. 

Once the window had been closed, and the shutters drawn, they retired to bed, together, for the first time. They lay side by side, the closest they could be. "Never thought you'd beat me to it," they whispered. "I never thought you'd be able to fluster me. But here we are." 

"Both blinder than bats, the two of us. Don't worry though, you still got me plenty flustered." Ardbert sighed, and the tone in the room began to shift as tension washed over him. There was strain in his voice when he spoke. "But there was another reason I'm glad you brought it up. Minfilia told me I was still here for a reason. And I'm worried that once my job's been fulfilled, my 'curse' will be broken. Once we've got the last of the Eaters driven off, that'll be it. You'll be back home, and I'll be gone. Thought it would be nice to pass on knowing that I loved someone. That I might be truly at peace if I told you." 

"You'll be absolved of your guilt, and with your closest friends once more. What could you possibly miss?" 

They realised, as the words left their mouth, what he had meant. Them. What Ardbert would have to leave behind was his love. Or perhaps, more accurately, they would be left alone, without him. He knew how much they relied on each other. Even before their feelings of companionship and grown into something deeper, they had been two halves of a whole. Once they were parted, what would happen to the other? Would they manage? 

He traced their jawline with his gloved hand, fingers passing through skin, unable to touch, or hold. But still, the gesture felt just as intimate. 

"Tomorrow, we storm Mount Gulg. We take down every last eater. And once we do...its the end to my story. But I hope that for you, it's only the beginning." He leaned closer, his forehead almost touching theirs, before he pressed his lips to theirs once more. 

"For luck." He smiled. 

*

As the Warrior lay sleeping, getting ready for what would surely be the enemy's last line of defence, Ardbert lay awake. It had been a century since last he had slept. But after today, the confession and the kiss, he felt at peace. He listened to the sound of their breathing, watched the steady rise and fall of their chest. By the time the bedside candle had begun to sputter, his eyelids felt heavy. He found himself lying against them, drifting slowly off into sleep. For once, he let himself slip into the darkness. 

And he dreamed of home.

**Author's Note:**

> Haven't written in a hot minute! I have so many XIV ships but the WoL/Ardbert brainworms have been hitting hard lately. Comments and Kudos are much appreciated \o/


End file.
